Former U.S. Marine Ruben Valencia, pictured at his Pico Rivera home Oct. 3, 2017, has been trying for years to get the remains of his best friend, Raul Guerra, a Navy journalist killed in a plane crash 50 years ago over Vietnam. Since then, it appears his remains along with four others in the crash were returned to Hawaii. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb, SGV Tribune/ SCNG)

Raul Antonio Guerra, a Navy journalist from East Los Angeles who died 50 years ago in a plane crash over Vietnam, may finally be coming home.

The remains of five Navy officers who were on the jet that crashed on Oct. 8, 1967 were returned 10 years ago from Vietnam to Hawaii. All but Guerra were identified and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency had been unable to identify the fifth body as Guerra’s for decades. They said making a DNA match was difficult because he was adopted in Mexico, and his birth mother and family were unknown.

But now, friends of Guerra, including his former fiancee, said they’re optimistic the military may be close to finally identifying him.

“Now, it seems at the end of October, he may be coming home,” said Mary Barrow Somerlott, who lives in Duarte. Somerlott was engaged to Guerra before he enlisted in the Navy and left for Vietnam.

“It’s got to be his remains because there were five people in that airplane and they have everybody else’s,” Somerlott said. “They also can tell (the body) was that of a Mexican-American and from dental records can tell he’s from Southern California.”

“They’re continuing the effort,” said Maj. Jessie Romero of the POW/MIA Accounting Agency. “They’re making every effort to find a way to get this done.”

Friends in fifth grade

Friends remembered Guerra from his days as a student in Montebello, long before he joined the Navy.

Ruben Valencia, now a resident of Pico Rivera, met Guerra in 1956 when both were in the fifth grade attending Eastmont Elementary School in Montebello.

“We just formed a bond, being that both of were raised by single moms,” Valencia said. “Both of us went on and graduated from Montebello High School.”

That’s when their paths split. Guerra went on to East Angeles College, where he was co-editor of the college newspaper and later went to work for the Montebello News. He enlisted in the Navy in 1966.

Valencia got married in 1965, was drafted into the Marines in December 1965. He served for 11 months in Vietnam. He’s now retired after working for 30 years as a manager for a distribution warehouse. He remains married to his wife, Emily.

The crash

Valencia was home on leave in Southern California when he learned that the plane carrying Guerra crashed into a mountain.

“He had volunteered to go on this reconnaissance flight over Da Nang,” Valencia said, referring to a letter he had received from Guerra.

“He thought he could get a bird’s eye view,” he said. “I read it and never thought about it but I ended up finding out that the plane had crashed.”

U.S. armed forces were unable to locate the wreckage because of the harsh terrain. That remained the case for the next 40 years.

But in 2007, the Vietnamese government recovered the bodies and sent them home.

Somerlott’s story

Somerlott, maiden name is Barrow, said she and Guerra started as competitors — she was the editor of Garfield High School’s student newspaper at the same time Guerra was the editor of Montebello High’s newspaper.

Both applied to a $100 scholarship to ELAC — both got it, and ended up splitting it in half. Then they both went on to work for ELAC’s newspaper.

“We became good friends and later were engaged,” she said.

“It was more of a promise although he wanted to get married before he went overseas,” Somerlott said. “But I was afraid. We were living in perilous times. I said we need to wait until you came home. A year later he was killed.”

Somerlott later married and founded her own public relations company.

Bodies returned from Vietnam

Ten years ago, Somerlott’s sister told her about a new story about the remains of five Vietnam veterans being found. Guerra’s name was among them.

“I felt (Guerra) had a lot of friends in the Montebello-East Los Angeles area and they should know his remains had been found,” Somerlott said.

She met Valencia and both soon learned the military was having problems identifying the final body that she believes belongs to Guerra.

“We’ve been contacting each other ever since and we’ve been on this roller coaster,” Somerlott said. “Is he coming home? When is he coming home? There’s no DNA match.”

Guerra likely didn’t know he was adopted, Valencia said. His adoptive mother, Margaret, died in the 1990s.

Bring Raul Home Committee

Donna Petersen of unincorporated north Whittier said she also remembered Guerra from his high school and college newspaper days.

“Raul and I go back to high school,” said Donna Petersen. “In junior college … he was the editor and I was the editorial page editor. Little over a year ago I woke up one day and said I need to help bring Raul back.”

She and her husband, Gary, met Valencia and others and formed the Bring Raul Home Committee.

Jose and Irma Salomon donated a plot for Guerra at Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary. A cousin on his mother’s side, Todd Armen of Northridge, signed paperwork allowing Guerra’s body to be returned to this area for burial.

The group has made numerous calls to U.S. senators on the Armed Forces Committee, local members of Congress and others, including then-President Barack Obama. But for much of that time it seemed to the committee members that there was little else they could do to speed up the process.

For now, they wait with hope that Guerra’s body soon will be identified and come home.

“It seems like such an easy thing to bring him home but for whatever reasons it hasn’t happened,” Valencia said. “I just ask for everybody’s prayers that this comes to a conclusion real soon.”

Former U.S. Marine Ruben Valencia, pictured at his Pico Rivera home Oct. 3, 2017, has been trying for years to get the remains of his best friend, Raul Guerra, a Navy journalist killed in a plane crash 50 years ago over Vietnam. Since then, it appears his remains along with four others in the crash were returned to Hawaii. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb, SGV Tribune/ SCNG)

Former U.S. Marine Ruben Valencia, pictured at his Pico Rivera home Oct. 3, 2017, has been trying for years to get the remains of his best friend, Raul Guerra, a Navy journalist killed in a plane crash 50 years ago over Vietnam. Since then, it appears his remains along with four others in the crash were returned to Hawaii. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb, SGV Tribune/ SCNG)

Former U.S. Marine Ruben Valencia, pictured at his Pico Rivera home Oct. 3, 2017, has been trying for years to get the remains of his best friend, Raul Guerra, a Navy journalist killed in a plane crash 50 years ago over Vietnam. Since then, it appears his remains along with four others in the crash were returned to Hawaii. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb, SGV Tribune/ SCNG)

Former U.S. Marine Ruben Valencia, pictured at his Pico Rivera home Oct. 3, 2017, has been trying for years to get the remains of his best friend, Raul Guerra, a Navy journalist killed in a plane crash 50 years ago over Vietnam. Since then, it appears his remains along with four others in the crash were returned to Hawaii. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb, SGV Tribune/ SCNG)

Former U.S. Marine Ruben Valencia, pictured at his Pico Rivera home Oct. 3, 2017, has been trying for years to get the remains of his best friend, Raul Guerra, a Navy journalist killed in a plane crash 50 years ago over Vietnam. Since then, it appears his remains along with four others in the crash were returned to Hawaii. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb, SGV Tribune/ SCNG)

Former U.S. Marine Ruben Valencia, pictured at his Pico Rivera home Oct. 3, 2017, has been trying for years to get the remains of his best friend, Raul Guerra, a Navy journalist killed in a plane crash 50 years ago over Vietnam. Since then, it appears his remains along with four others in the crash were returned to Hawaii. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb, SGV Tribune/ SCNG)

Former U.S. Marine Ruben Valencia, pictured at his Pico Rivera home Oct. 3, 2017, has been trying for years to get the remains of his best friend, Raul Guerra, a Navy journalist killed in a plane crash 50 years ago over Vietnam. Since then, it appears his remains along with four others in the crash were returned to Hawaii. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb, SGV Tribune/ SCNG)

Mike Sprague started at the Whittier Daily News in April 1984. Since then, Sprague has covered every city in the Whittier Daily News circulation area, as well as political and water issues. Sprague received a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's degree in political science, both from Cal State Fullerton.

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